Page 45 of Asher
“We should get some rest,” he said, his voice rough.
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. He turned away, but I saw the way his shoulders tensed, like he was fighting something.
I leaned back against the couch, my leg throbbing, my heart even more so.
The ache in my leg was a dull throb now, a low pulse of pain that never quite let me forget how close I’d come to losing everything.
I was healing, slowly, but weakness lingered in my muscles, making every movement feel like dragging dead weight.
I pushed myself to sit up on the worn-out couch, my fingers gripping the edge of the cushions as I forced my body to cooperate.
The air inside the cabin was cold, but it was a safe kind of cold. It was far better than the biting chill of the forest outside.
Gael moved somewhere behind me, the quiet rustle of his movements a constant reminder that I wasn’t alone.
“Don’t strain yourself,” Gael said, his voice low but edged with irritation. “You’ll just tear it open again.”
I exhaled sharply, trying to bite back my frustration. “I’m not going to sit here like some helpless idiot.”
He didn’t respond right away, and for a moment, I thought he’d just let it go.
But then I felt him move closer, his presence like a shadow curling around me.
“You’re not helpless,” he said quietly, almost too quietly. His eyes, dark and unreadable, pinned me to the spot. “You’re just not invincible. Neither of us are.”
I clenched my jaw, looking away. The words cut deep because they were true.
Vulnerability wasn’t something I knew how to handle, not in myself, and especially not in front of Gael.
The fact that he was here, helping me, witnessing me in this state, made something twist inside my chest.
I heard him sigh, a soft exhale of frustration or maybe resignation.
He turned away, heading for the door to check the makeshift barricade we’d set up.
The cabin was barely holding together, its walls creaking with age, but for now, it was the best we had.
The silence stretched between us as Gael inspected the window frames, testing the rotted wood and making sure the shutters were secure.
His movements were deliberate, controlled, but there was a tension in his shoulders, a tightness in his jaw that I couldn’t ignore.
I hated this quiet. It was the kind that allowed thoughts to creep in, memories I’d rather bury.
I needed something to break it, something to force the air back into my lungs.
“So,” I said, “this place isn’t exactly five-star accommodations.”
Gael snorted softly. “You’re welcome to leave if you want.”
I almost smiled, the corner of my mouth twitching. “Tempting.”
He turned to look at me, his eyes glinting with something close to amusement.
For a second, the weight between us eased. But then it settled back, heavier than before.
He walked back toward me, his footsteps soft against the old wooden floor.
He didn’t sit, just leaned against the wall opposite me, arms crossed.
